Monstarot Tarot Video Review
See Joanna Nelson’s gentle monster world, card scale, and color palette before browsing the card-image archive below.
Monstarot Tarot Card Gallery
Browse this review’s card-image archive of Joanna Nelson’s expressive monsters. Choose a group or open a card in the Lightbox. The editorial scenes use the supplied Second Edition box; compare the seller’s current photographs for edition-specific details.
Showing all verified cards
Aurica’s Monstarot Quick Take
I love how Monstarot makes room for the feelings we sometimes try to tidy away. Its little monsters can be awkward, hopeful, guarded or gloriously pleased with themselves. Their expressions give me somewhere gentle to begin, before I reach for a card’s familiar meaning.
I notice the purple Fool leaning towards those bright stars, and the winding path beneath the Moon. One asks what makes me curious; the other asks what I can see clearly enough to trust. Together, they remind me that courage need not be loud, and uncertainty need not stop every small step.
For a quiet check-in, I would ask: what wants to play, what needs reassurance, and what can I try next? Let the pictures answer slowly. There is space in this little monster world for your tenderness, your oddness, and the brave part of you that is still learning to bloom.
What is Monstarot Tarot?
I see Joanna Nelson’s Monstarot as a bright community of hand-drawn monsters living inside familiar tarot scenes. I find them funny without being shallow: their posture, tiny props and wide-eyed expressions make uncertainty, delight, hurt and courage easy to notice.
Our card-image archive lets me follow those visual choices through the Major and suit cards. I start with the monster’s face and body language, then notice the sky, ground and smallest nearby character before bringing in a traditional meaning.
CARD STUDY
The Fool: a monster follows the stars
A purple monster leans forward beneath a blue sky, carrying a stick with a tiny blue bundle. Two large yellow stars sit near its curled tail, while a small grey creature and orange flower occupy the path. The figure looks curious and slightly off balance rather than frightened.
In a reading, ask what bright detail is pulling attention forward and what small companion or responsibility is already travelling with you. Nearby cards can show whether that eager lean becomes playful exploration or a need to watch your footing.
A little play before the leap
After the Fool’s eager lean, I want a question that gives curiosity somewhere to land. The monsters are inviting, but I would not let their sweetness turn a reading into automatic reassurance. A bright expression can be courage, distraction or the lovely relief of finally beginning.
Try an easy prompt: what catches my eye today? A little deeper: where am I waiting for permission to begin? For a more demanding reading, ask what excitement is hiding from view, then compare the answer with a card about timing or support. Let a small practical step follow the picture.
FOUR-CARD STUDY
Four cards for playful momentum
A flower-ringed magician, a wheeled red craft, airborne wands and a smiling sun create a lively sequence. Use it when a plan needs imagination, movement, timing and visible confidence.
How the monsters speak
Monstarot’s clearest language is emotional. Some creatures beam, some hide, and some look directly at a problem that seems much larger than they are. The simple landscapes leave room for these reactions to carry the scene.
For each card, name the expression, the direction of the gaze and one object. Across a spread, repeated flowers, stars, boats, cups or little background monsters can reveal the thread joining several positions.
CARD STUDY
The Moon: the path bends between watchful creatures
A pale round moon rests low between two ochre pyramids. A winding brown path runs from blue water into green land, passing a small red figure while two blue-grey monsters watch from either side. A red-orange creature rises at the water’s edge in the foreground.
The scene gives uncertainty a visible route. Ask which part of the path can already be seen, who is watching from the edges, and whether the foreground feeling is being heard. The card becomes less about guessing and more about moving carefully through mixed signals.
Let the feeling change
The Moon’s uncertain path makes me listen more carefully to the Cups cards around it. A feeling can be real without telling the whole story. I look for a reaching hand, a shared cup or a creature turned away, then ask whether the spread needs comfort, conversation or a little breathing room.
In a relationship reading, these images are most useful when they open a question rather than settle another person’s thoughts for them. What can you say honestly? What would make connection feel safer? The four cards below let the emotional weather move, instead of asking one mood to explain everything.
FOUR-CARD STUDY
Four cards for emotional weather
The Lovers gathers a furry pair under a warm sun, the Three celebrates beside fruit, the Five sits among spilled cups, and the Ten meets beneath a rainbow. Together they show connection as changing weather rather than one fixed mood.
Reading relationships, work and confidence
In relationship readings, watch who reaches, who turns away and who shares the frame. For work or creative questions, the Wands monsters make effort and resistance especially visible. Cups show feelings through simple gestures, while Swords often sharpen attention around choice and boundaries.
The deck is gentle enough for reflective journaling but specific enough for practical spreads. Let the surrounding cards decide whether a funny expression is relief, avoidance, bravery or simple surprise.
CARD STUDY
King of Cups: a crowned figure stays afloat
A green crowned monster stands waist-deep in choppy blue water, holding a golden cup while a small white paper boat floats nearby. A pale claw reaches down from above, and the monster looks sideways with alert, uneven eyes.
That combination of cup, water, crown and interruption makes a useful reading prompt: what feeling can be held without denying the waves, and what outside presence is asking for attention? The tiny boat can mark the message or vulnerable hope that needs steady care.
Before you bring the monsters home
I would compare the seller’s current photographs with the cards that make you pause here. Our gallery preserves this review’s card-image archive, while the two editorial scenes show the supplied turquoise Second Edition box. Packaging alone does not guarantee that every edition uses identical card artwork.
The shopping links lead directly to the Second Edition Etsy listing. Check its current photographs, included items and delivery details before choosing; I would not assume a booklet, finish or size from a generated scene. Let the actual product information make the practical decision, and let the monsters help you notice which visual language feels welcoming.
FOUR-CARD STUDY
Four cards for courage and boundaries
Strength balances two stacked creatures, the Two crosses blades under a crescent moon, the Seven stands above a thicket of wands, and the Queen holds a sword on a bright hill. Read them as four ways of meeting pressure.
Who will enjoy Monstarot?
This deck suits readers who like expressive characters, clear suit cues and humour that still leaves room for serious feelings. It can be approachable for beginners because the body language is easy to read, while experienced readers may enjoy how small background details alter familiar meanings.
Its warmest gift is permission to meet difficult cards without becoming distant from them. One odd little monster at a time, the deck makes room for honesty, courage and a next step that feels possible.
My golden rule: let the smile open the question
A charming monster can soften the doorway into a difficult subject, but it should not close the conversation. I name what the creature seems to feel, connect that feeling with the card’s familiar role, and let the surrounding cards bring a different view. The gentleness is a way in, not a promise that every answer will be easy.
Final thoughts on Monstarot
I love the invitation at the heart of these pictures: you can be a little strange, a little uncertain, and still worth meeting with care. If expressive faces and small visual surprises help you stay curious, Monstarot offers a warm place to practise. Begin with one honest question, notice one tiny detail, and choose one brave step you can actually take.
For another creature-led mood, wander through our Cat Tarot review; for a more natural, animal-centred atmosphere, try Anima Mundi Tarot. The comparison can help you hear which sort of imagery speaks most clearly to you.
View Monstarot Tarot on EtsyFAQ
Is Monstarot Tarot good for beginners?
I think so, if those expressive little creatures make sense to you. Begin with a daily card, describe its posture in your own words, and keep a short keyword guide nearby while the traditional meanings become familiar.
What kind of readings is Monstarot Tarot best for?
I would reach for its pictures for reflective daily pulls, creative questions and gentle emotional check-ins. The monsters give feelings a face; a clear question and a small follow-up action keep that warmth useful rather than vague.
Does Monstarot Tarot follow traditional tarot meanings?
The card-image archive uses familiar Major Arcana and four-suit tarot roles. I read the printed title alongside the scene, then check the actual edition’s guidebook for renamed or revised cards rather than assuming every printing is identical.
Who should skip Monstarot Tarot?
If you want spare symbols, a neutral visual style or keywords printed across every card, its busy little personalities may not be your favourite company. I would compare a few everyday suit cards before deciding—the faces that delight one reader can distract another.
How do I compare Monstarot Tarot with other tarot decks?
I look beyond a favourite Major and compare a court card, an ordinary numbered card and one difficult image in each deck. Notice which picture helps you ask an honest question, and which one needs more explanation than you enjoy giving.
Can Monstarot Tarot be used for serious readings?
Yes. I can meet a serious question with a playful image without making the feeling small. Name what you see, connect it to the card’s role and surrounding spread, and leave room for the reader to choose their next step.
